Lavandula plant named ‘Dolavladibini’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Lavandula plant named ‘Dolavladibini’, characterized by its relatively compact, upright and uniform plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; early and freely flowering habit; dark purple-colored flowers positioned on strong peduncles; and good container and garden performance.

Botanical designation: Lavandula stoechas.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DOLAVLADIBINI’.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY INVENTOR & APPLICANT/ASSIGNEE

An European Community Plant Breeder's Rights application for the instant plant was filed by the Applicant/Assignee, Dümmen Group B.V. of De Lier, The Netherlands on Oct. 21, 2021, application number 2021/2618. Foreign priority is not claimed to this application.

The Inventor and Applicant/Assignee assert that no publications nor advertisements relating to sales, offers for sale or public distribution occurred more than one year prior to the effective filing date of this application. Any information about the claimed plant would have been obtained from a direct or indirect disclosure from the Inventor and/or Applicant/Assignee. Inventor and Applicant/Assignee claim a prior art exception under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1) for disclosure and/or sales prior to the filing date but less than one year prior to the effective filing date.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Lavandula plant, botanically known as Lavandula stoechas, commonly referred to as Lavender and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Dolavladibini’.

The new Lavandula plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new unique Lavandula plants with long flowering period and attractive plant form and flower coloration.

The new Lavandula plant originated from an open-pollination in April, 2016 of a proprietary selection of Lavandula stoechas identified as code number LV15-000115-001, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Lavandula stoechas as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Lavandula plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands in April, 2017.

Asexual reproduction of the new Lavandula plant by terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands since June, 2017 has shown that the unique features of this new Lavandula plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Lavandula have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of the new Lavandula plant. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Dolavladibini’ as a new and distinct Lavandula plant:

-   -   1. Relatively compact, upright and uniform plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Early and freely flowering habit.     -   5. Dark purple-colored flowers positioned on strong peduncles.     -   6. Good container and garden performance.

Plants of the new Lavandula differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection primarily in inflorescence size as plants of the new Lavandula have larger inflorescences than plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Lavandula can be compared to plants of the Lavandula stoechas ‘Anouk’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,685. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Lavandula differ primarily from plants of ‘Anouk’ in plant size as plants of the new Lavandula are more compact than and not as tall as plants of ‘Anouk’. In addition, plants of the new Lavandula flower earlier than plants of ‘Anouk’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Lavandula plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Lavandula plant. The photograph is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Dolavladibini’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in 17-cm containers in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands during the summer initially in a glass-covered greenhouse and finished in an outdoor nursery and under conditions and cultural practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Lavandula plant production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 21° C. and night temperatures averaged 15° C. Plants were 20 weeks old when the photograph and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, Second Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Measurements represent averages for typical flowering plants.

-   Botanical classification: Lavandula stoechas ‘Dolavladibini’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Lavandula             stoechas identified as code number LV15-000115-001, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Lavandula             stoechas, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 16 days at             temperatures about 26° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About three weeks at             temperatures about 23° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 24 days             at temperatures about 23° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four             weeks at temperatures about 18° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; typically             white to light yellow in color, actual color of the roots is             dependent on substrate composition, water quality,             fertilizer type and formulation.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; good             performance as a container and as a garden plant; relatively             compact, upright and uniform plant habit; moderately             vigorous growth habit and moderate growth rate; flowers             arranged in verticillasters on crowded spikes with showy             terminal flower bracts.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of floral plane.—About 29             cm.         -   Plant width.—About 26 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Quantity per plant: Freely             branching with about twelve primary lateral branches each             with about 16 secondary lateral branches developing per             plant. Length: About 27 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Internode             length: About 1.5 cm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: Erect to             about 30° from vertical. Texture and luster: Pubescent;             semi-glossy; becoming woody and glabrous with development.             Color, when developing: Close to 144B. Color, developed:             Close to 144B; when becoming woody, close to 200D.         -   Leaf description.—Arrangement: Opposite and decussate,             simple; sessile. Length: About 4 cm. Width: About 5 mm.             Shape: Linear to lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate.             Margin: Entire. Texture and luster, upper and lower             surfaces: Pubescent; semi-glossy. Fragrance: Strongly             aromatic, pungent. Venation pattern: Pinnate and reticulate.             Color: Developing leaves, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             147B. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 147A;             venation, close to 147A. Fully expanded leaves, lower             surface: Close to 147B; venation, close to 147B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type, arrangement and habit.—Single bilabiate flowers             arranged in compact verticillasters on crowded terminal             spikes; freely flowering, about 23 flowers per inflorescence             and about 2,016 flowers developing per plant; flowers with             two-lobed upper lip and three-lobed lower lip; flowers face             mostly outwardly on the spike; inflorescences with showy             terminal flower bracts.         -   Natural flowering season.—Flowering is continuous from June             to August in The Netherlands; plants begin flowering about             64 days after planting.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—Inflorescences last about             three to four weeks on the plant; flowers persistent.         -   Fragrance.—Strongly fragrant; typical lavender scent.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 6 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Shape: Elliptic. Texture and luster: Pubescent; matte.             Color: Close to 143A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Length: About 3.3 cm. Diameter: About             1.5 cm.         -   Flower size.—Diameter: About 5 mm by 4 mm. Depth (height):             About 5 mm. Throat diameter: About 2 mm. Tube length: About             6 mm. Tube diameter: About 1 mm.         -   Petals.—Quantity and arrangement: Upper lip, two-lobed and             lower lip, three-lobed. Length: About 1 mm. Width: About             2 mm. Shape: Linear; proximally, fused into a tube. Apex:             Obtuse, rounded. Margin: Entire; not undulate. Texture and             luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; matte.             Texture, throat and tube: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color:             When opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close to 79A;             venation, close to 79A; color does not change with             subsequent development. When opening and fully opened, lower             surface: Close to 79A; venation, close to 79A; color does             not change with subsequent development. Throat: Close to             79A; venation, close to 79A. Tube: Close to 77A; venation,             close to 77A.         -   Terminal flower bracts.—Quantity and arrangement: About four             positioned upright at inflorescence apex. Length: About             2.8 cm. Width: About 1.1 cm. Shape: Rhomboidal. Apex: Acute.             Margin: Entire. Texture and luster, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 77A; venation, close to 152A.         -   Basal flower bracts.—Quantity and arrangement: Subtending             the flowers is a single basal flower bract. Length: About             7 mm. Width: About 7 mm. Shape: Rhomboidal. Apex: Acute.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 143A             and at the apices, close to 87A.         -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: Five, fused forming an             urceolate calyx. Length: About 6 mm. Width: About 2 mm.             Shape: Linear. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture and             luster, upper surface: Pubescent; matte. Texture and luster,             lower surface: Smooth, glabrous; glossy. Color: When             opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144A. Fully             opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 6.5 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Aspect: Upright to about 25° from vertical. Strength:             Moderately strong. Texture and luster: Pubescent;             semi-glossy. Color: Close to 148A.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 1 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm.             Aspect: About 30° from peduncle axis. Strength: Moderately             strong. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; glossy. Color:             Close to 145B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Four.             Filament length: About 2 mm. Filament color: Close to 79A.             Anther shape: Reniform; dorsifixed. Anther size: About 0.5             mm by 0.5 mm. Anther color: Close to 79A. Pollen amount:             Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 17A. Pistils: Quantity per             flower: One. Pistil length: About 5 mm. Stigma shape:             Capitate. Stigma diameter: About 0.5 mm. Stigma color: Close             to 202A. Style length: About 4 mm. Style color: Close to             84C. Ovary color: Close to 144B.         -   Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit production has not             been observed on plants of the new Lavandula. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Lavandula     have not been noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Lavandula plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Lavandula have exhibited good     tolerance to rain, wind and to tolerate temperatures ranging from     about −15° C. to about 35° C. and to be suitable for USDA Hardiness     Zone 7. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Lavandula plant named ‘Dolavladibini’ as illustrated and described. 